Comments on: Better Ways to Access CS4 Help Files

By: R.D.Rush

R.D.Rush — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 01:03:34 +0000

While you can download a PDF of most all help documentation in addition to live access online both formats have pros and cons. The biggest issue is the time spent digging through a PDF and the LiveDocs system requires internet connectivity. Bringing the convenience of offline viewing and quick look-up speed together, Doc? bridges the gap between client and server side documentation.

Doc? is an AIR application that downloads, indexes and manages LiveDocs format help in a document library like manner. With few features it presents a user with a clean, easy to use interface virtually eliminating the learning curve. The tool is freeware and is actively maintained by two developers.

Doc? can be found at the developer blog:
Check out Doc?

By: Anne-Marie

Anne-Marie — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:09:08 +0000

TJ, you’re right. Weird!

All the more reason to download the PDF version of the Bridge CS4 help file:
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Bridge/3.0/bridge_versioncue_cs4_help.pdf

By: TJ

TJ — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:23:54 +0000

There’s no local help at all for Adobe Bridge.

By: Jo-Ann Hague

Jo-Ann Hague — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:31:27 +0000

Thanks to everyone for good info. My problem is that I cannot open help documentation AT ALL in any of my CS4 MASTER Suite of programs. The hourglasslooks as if it’s doing something for a half-second; then, it just quits. I know that I have a broader problem because my HELP in MS Office programs is also on the skids. There, it brings up a window telling me it doesn’t recognize XML. I apologize for posting this dilemma here, but I cannot find anything on the web. I surmise that an essential file was deleted in a recent disk cleanup. I reinstalled CS4 (no good) thinking that something might fall into place. HELP!

By: Hal Snyder

Hal Snyder — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:21:06 +0000

The online expanded help is a plus, but the win-win solution would be to allow both at any time. Maybe reserve preferences for the default action.

Sometimes the web response is too slow, or I know roughly where something is in the local docs and don’t want the lag and the extra clicks of online searching. On the other hand, sometimes the topic is more general and the online system is a plus.

It’s not either-or. Why not make both available all the time?

By: Jay Armstrong

Jay Armstrong — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 01:34:32 +0000

Hi Anne-Marie. We hear your pain and are working on solutions to improve the situation. In the meantime:

If you’re connected to the Internet, the Help menu within the product opens the product Help and Support page by default. This page is a portal to all of the Community Help content for the product. If you want to consult or search online product Help only, you can access it by clicking the product Help link in the upper-right corner of the Help and Support page. Once inside the Adobe Help for the product, be sure to select the This Help System Only option before you do your search. Otherwise, Adobe content and Community content will be returned in the search results.

If you’re not connected to the Internet, the Help menu within the product opens local Help, which is a subset of the content available in online product Help. Because local Help is not as complete or up-to-date as online product Help, Adobe recommends that you use the PDF version of product Help if you want to stay off-line.

A downloadable PDF of complete product Help is available from two places:
- The product’s Help and Support page (upper-right corner of the page)
- Local Help and web Help (top of the Help interface)

If you are working in Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Fireworks, or Dreamweaver, and you want to turn off Community Help so that local Help opens by default, do the following:
1. Open the Connections panel (Window > Extensions > Connections).
2. From the Connections panel menu , select Offline Options.
3. Select Keep Me Offline and click OK.

By: Gene McCullagh

Gene McCullagh — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:18:37 +0000

Thanks Bob! That is a great tip.

It’s unfortunate, though, that Adobe has gone this route. Even the subset that is local has numerous links back out to the Web site if you want any coherent help information.

Perhaps the better approach is to let the user decide when installing. Adobe could show the local help files and how much room they will use. Then if you have the space install away!

By: Anne-Marie

Anne-Marie — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:28:22 +0000

Bob, thanks for that cool tip! It was a hit during the final Tips and Tricks session at the InDesign Conference Master Class.

By: Bob Bringhurst

Bob Bringhurst — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:52:36 +0000

I just wanted to point out that the local version of help is a subset of web help. Many of the new CS4 features are described only minimally in local help. However, if you prefer using local help, try this:

1. Choose Window > Extensions > Connections.

2. From the Connections panel menu, choose Offline Options.

3. Select Keep Me Offline.

When you press F1 or choose Help > InDesign Help, the local help files appear. By the way, these steps work for any CS4 app.

By: Anne-Marie

Anne-Marie — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:05:52 +0000

Roland, neat! I’ll give the plug-ins a shot.